Evergreen Terrace, The Metro, Oakland 7/19/11
Chelsea Wolfe, Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco 7/20/11
Liturgy, Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco 7/20/11
See you in the pit!
Showing posts with label Black Metal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Metal. Show all posts
Friday, July 22, 2011
We Saw Bands This Week! Evergreen Terrace! Chelsea Wolfe! Liturgy!
Yeah...we go to shows sometimes. This is who we've see this week thus far:
Evergreen Terrace, The Metro, Oakland 7/19/11
Chelsea Wolfe, Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco 7/20/11
Liturgy, Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco 7/20/11
See you in the pit!
Evergreen Terrace, The Metro, Oakland 7/19/11
Chelsea Wolfe, Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco 7/20/11
Liturgy, Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco 7/20/11
See you in the pit!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Servile Sect: Black Metal Has Come A Long Way From Mayhem...
Oh black metal. On one hand, it's music so grim, ugly, dark, and powerful that taking it in aurually can almost be seen as a form of meditation or ritual. When paired with the right aesthetics (sonically and visually), and listened or seen live in the right venue, it can really be an outerworldly experience. Even though it has been embraced and created in all parts of the world, black metal's Norwegian roots, be it the haunting landscapes, frigid climate, and a native culture with close ties to the natural and supernatural worlds, are always something that shines through on greatest and truest black metal records. When done right, even corpse paint, wrist gaunlets, and black leather can bring a band's music and performance to an entirely new level. As far as metal in general goes, black metal is one of the rawest forms of expression that exists within the genre at large.
But on the other hand, there's this:
Oh...and this too:
For as raw and unbridled as one side of the black metal spectrum is, it is a genre often misrepresented by corny bands with drama nerd antics and Guitar Center employee-style musical wankery. For as haunting and uncomfortable corpse paint can look, the idiots in the two previous videos make it look fucking hysterical and complete and total bullshit. I don't hear or feel any raw emotion in that. I don't see that as evil. I see a bunch fucking clowns with instruments doing their best "METAL" faces to the camera. I am far from a black metal purist. Shit, I'm probably a "casual" fan at best, but its impossible not to be baffled at that gap of artistic and ideological integrity between both ends of the spectrum of black metal in general.
Enter Servile Sect, a two-piece black metal outfit originating from Phoenix, AZ, but have since moved to Humboldt, CA and New York, NY (probably because it's hot as fucking misery in Arizona, Humboldt has the bomb weed, and some people really, really like New York). Having already released record's on Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth fame's record label, Ecstatic Peace (I know, it doesn't sound very evil to me either), Servile Sect are releasing their third full length release, Trvth on Handmade Birds Records, a label run by R. Loren of Sailors With Wax Wings notoriety (I know, Handmade Birds doesn't sound any more evil that Ecstatic Peace does. Maybe they know something we don't). If you are expecting rehashed mosh parts, corny orchestral synthesizers, and Kiss-esque onstage theatrics, I'm sure there's a Hot Topic not far from where you live. I'm sure there's a wide array of shitty Cradle of Filth merch there (and its probably on sale).
Servile Sect not only thrive at the raw, ugly, and brutal side of black metal, they set a new standard in it.Trvth is forty-nine minutes of twisted, darkened black metal that has just the right amount of machine-like, blackened, ambient noise strewn between some of the most haunting, evil, punishing black metal ever put to tape. In a move I appreciate as a listener, Servile Sect opted to go for decent recording sound instead of putting out an lp that sounds like it was recorded in an aluminum trash can. They blend psychedelic guitar and sound elements, not unlike Nachtmystium's earlier work, but Servile Sect put a much darker, sinsister spin on the non-conventional elements of their black metal assault. Their use of dynamics and ability to deconstruct and rebuild a genre often bogged down in unofficial "rules" and so concerned with "trends" and "being extreme" is testimony to why a musical heavyweight such as Thurston Moore would take interest in putting their records out. In a complicated genre, where finding the cream of the crop is honestly harder than finding a needle in a haystack. Trvth dropped yesterday on Handmade Birds. If you like your black metal well recorded, forward-thinking, and without corny rockstar bullshit, Servile Sect is a must listen to band. Get your kvlt on, bro.
But on the other hand, there's this:
Oh...and this too:
For as raw and unbridled as one side of the black metal spectrum is, it is a genre often misrepresented by corny bands with drama nerd antics and Guitar Center employee-style musical wankery. For as haunting and uncomfortable corpse paint can look, the idiots in the two previous videos make it look fucking hysterical and complete and total bullshit. I don't hear or feel any raw emotion in that. I don't see that as evil. I see a bunch fucking clowns with instruments doing their best "METAL" faces to the camera. I am far from a black metal purist. Shit, I'm probably a "casual" fan at best, but its impossible not to be baffled at that gap of artistic and ideological integrity between both ends of the spectrum of black metal in general.
Enter Servile Sect, a two-piece black metal outfit originating from Phoenix, AZ, but have since moved to Humboldt, CA and New York, NY (probably because it's hot as fucking misery in Arizona, Humboldt has the bomb weed, and some people really, really like New York). Having already released record's on Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth fame's record label, Ecstatic Peace (I know, it doesn't sound very evil to me either), Servile Sect are releasing their third full length release, Trvth on Handmade Birds Records, a label run by R. Loren of Sailors With Wax Wings notoriety (I know, Handmade Birds doesn't sound any more evil that Ecstatic Peace does. Maybe they know something we don't). If you are expecting rehashed mosh parts, corny orchestral synthesizers, and Kiss-esque onstage theatrics, I'm sure there's a Hot Topic not far from where you live. I'm sure there's a wide array of shitty Cradle of Filth merch there (and its probably on sale).
Servile Sect not only thrive at the raw, ugly, and brutal side of black metal, they set a new standard in it.Trvth is forty-nine minutes of twisted, darkened black metal that has just the right amount of machine-like, blackened, ambient noise strewn between some of the most haunting, evil, punishing black metal ever put to tape. In a move I appreciate as a listener, Servile Sect opted to go for decent recording sound instead of putting out an lp that sounds like it was recorded in an aluminum trash can. They blend psychedelic guitar and sound elements, not unlike Nachtmystium's earlier work, but Servile Sect put a much darker, sinsister spin on the non-conventional elements of their black metal assault. Their use of dynamics and ability to deconstruct and rebuild a genre often bogged down in unofficial "rules" and so concerned with "trends" and "being extreme" is testimony to why a musical heavyweight such as Thurston Moore would take interest in putting their records out. In a complicated genre, where finding the cream of the crop is honestly harder than finding a needle in a haystack. Trvth dropped yesterday on Handmade Birds. If you like your black metal well recorded, forward-thinking, and without corny rockstar bullshit, Servile Sect is a must listen to band. Get your kvlt on, bro.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Tankcrimes Continues Legacy of Killer Releases With Tapes by Obsessor and Night Fever
Oakland is a legendary city for punk and hardcore. I could come up with a list of obvious and not so obvious bands, icons, and labels, but where would I even begin. Punk and hardcore in Oakland is much like living in Oakland: if you aren't sharp, hard, aware of your surroundings, and a step ahead of the rest of your neighborhood: you're going to end up a casualty. Voetsek drummer Scotty Heath has been an Oakland resident for a long time, and his record label, Tankcrimes, is a testimony to his keen ear and his ability to find bands and release records that hold their own in a region so rich in great punk and hardcore music.
My former bandmate used to live next door to Heath, and I have peeked into the garage that Tankcrimes is run out of numerous times as we went to and from our own rehearsals. I knew Scotty's label was more than a hobby, but over 2010, Tankcrimes has outgrown Oakland and has began to make quite an impact on punk and hardcore worldwide. Over the past few months, Tankcrimes has put out releases by Annihlation Time, Kicker, Victims, and Cannabis Corpse. Last October, Heath put on the Tankcrimes Brainsqueeze, a two day fest featuring Municipal Waste, Ghoul, Vitamin X, Toxic Holocaust, Ramming Speed, and few other heavy hitters associated with the Tankcrimes label (the DJ at the all day after party at Eli's was the SHIT if I do say so myself...). The garage with a work table and shelves full of records I peered into a handful of times, sometimes staggering between two different friends houses after libations, has definitely taken itself to the next level.
Tankcrimes recently offered up two very different releases on 2011's most popular dead format, cassettes. While both of these releases can easily be played in any car made before the mid 2000s, the bands themselves are definitely in catagories of their own. The first is Obsessor, a one man metal project from Richmond, VA and the second is Night Fever, a dirty hardcore band from Copenhagen, Denmark. Let's dig a little deeper, shall we?
Obsessor offer up two songs of d-beat influenced metal in the same ballpark as Venom or even early Celtic Frost. All of the instruments and vocals were done by Richmond, VA legend Brandon Ferrell, who has done time in Municipal Waste, Government Warning, and Vinyl Conflict Records. What I like most about this two song single is how Ferrell manages to write great metal songs that still have a dirty, raw punk rock feel to them. If the bio didn't mention that Obsessor were a one man band, I never would have known. The songs lack that overly rigid feel that often comes with one man bands (I imagine that rigidness is associated with keeping tempo while recording the different instruments). These two songs are outstanding and with the right hired guns, would make for some ruling circle pits when played live. I look forward to hearing more from this one man metal assault.
I have to be honest. In general, I am wary of European hardcore. I'm not trying to knock an entire continent's contribution to an entire subgenre, but for my taste, many of their so called all-stars fall flat in comparison to their American or Canadian counterparts. Night Fever, however, rule so much than I wish this tape made its way into the stereos of several popular American "hardcore" bands and perhaps breathe some life into a scene saturated in nothing more than bands doing their best rewrites of whatever was hot in the scene ten years ago. Night Fever are what would happen if Slapshot and Motorhead had a kid with an AMAZING sense of humor. The music is fast, angry, and aggressive, yet has a filthy rock n roll feel too it. You could just as easily run off of the stage and headwalk to these guys as you could headbanging furiously while pounding beers in the back of the club, leaving the moshing to the youngins without permanent injuries. Night Fever have all the fun that I feel hardcore (at least in the US) has lost over the last decade. Fun that was replaced with posturing, haircuts, sneaker obsessions, and years gone by that won't ever come back. Night Fever's greatest strength is in the vocal range of frontman Soloman, who can just as easily bark over lightning fast galloping drum beats as well as he can sing like a hybrid of Lemmy and King Diamond. This tape kills. Metalheads, punks, and core kids alike will LOVE Night Fever.
Both tapes are available for order off of the Tankcrimes Website. Close up Facebook and go buy some tapes. 2011 has been a big year for Tankcrimes and its barely half over. Let's see if we can't help Scotty wrap it up with a bang.
My former bandmate used to live next door to Heath, and I have peeked into the garage that Tankcrimes is run out of numerous times as we went to and from our own rehearsals. I knew Scotty's label was more than a hobby, but over 2010, Tankcrimes has outgrown Oakland and has began to make quite an impact on punk and hardcore worldwide. Over the past few months, Tankcrimes has put out releases by Annihlation Time, Kicker, Victims, and Cannabis Corpse. Last October, Heath put on the Tankcrimes Brainsqueeze, a two day fest featuring Municipal Waste, Ghoul, Vitamin X, Toxic Holocaust, Ramming Speed, and few other heavy hitters associated with the Tankcrimes label (the DJ at the all day after party at Eli's was the SHIT if I do say so myself...). The garage with a work table and shelves full of records I peered into a handful of times, sometimes staggering between two different friends houses after libations, has definitely taken itself to the next level.
Tankcrimes recently offered up two very different releases on 2011's most popular dead format, cassettes. While both of these releases can easily be played in any car made before the mid 2000s, the bands themselves are definitely in catagories of their own. The first is Obsessor, a one man metal project from Richmond, VA and the second is Night Fever, a dirty hardcore band from Copenhagen, Denmark. Let's dig a little deeper, shall we?
Obsessor offer up two songs of d-beat influenced metal in the same ballpark as Venom or even early Celtic Frost. All of the instruments and vocals were done by Richmond, VA legend Brandon Ferrell, who has done time in Municipal Waste, Government Warning, and Vinyl Conflict Records. What I like most about this two song single is how Ferrell manages to write great metal songs that still have a dirty, raw punk rock feel to them. If the bio didn't mention that Obsessor were a one man band, I never would have known. The songs lack that overly rigid feel that often comes with one man bands (I imagine that rigidness is associated with keeping tempo while recording the different instruments). These two songs are outstanding and with the right hired guns, would make for some ruling circle pits when played live. I look forward to hearing more from this one man metal assault.
I have to be honest. In general, I am wary of European hardcore. I'm not trying to knock an entire continent's contribution to an entire subgenre, but for my taste, many of their so called all-stars fall flat in comparison to their American or Canadian counterparts. Night Fever, however, rule so much than I wish this tape made its way into the stereos of several popular American "hardcore" bands and perhaps breathe some life into a scene saturated in nothing more than bands doing their best rewrites of whatever was hot in the scene ten years ago. Night Fever are what would happen if Slapshot and Motorhead had a kid with an AMAZING sense of humor. The music is fast, angry, and aggressive, yet has a filthy rock n roll feel too it. You could just as easily run off of the stage and headwalk to these guys as you could headbanging furiously while pounding beers in the back of the club, leaving the moshing to the youngins without permanent injuries. Night Fever have all the fun that I feel hardcore (at least in the US) has lost over the last decade. Fun that was replaced with posturing, haircuts, sneaker obsessions, and years gone by that won't ever come back. Night Fever's greatest strength is in the vocal range of frontman Soloman, who can just as easily bark over lightning fast galloping drum beats as well as he can sing like a hybrid of Lemmy and King Diamond. This tape kills. Metalheads, punks, and core kids alike will LOVE Night Fever.
Both tapes are available for order off of the Tankcrimes Website. Close up Facebook and go buy some tapes. 2011 has been a big year for Tankcrimes and its barely half over. Let's see if we can't help Scotty wrap it up with a bang.
Set List From Surprise Happy Hour DJ Set at ACME Bar 6/20/11
Yesterday I decided to spend time working at ACME Bar in Berkeley to change up my scenery. They have wireless, Fernet on tap, and $2 High Lifes. After realizing I didn't want to bury my Sleep review with a far less important story, I got a burrito, and then asked bartender Nicole if I could jump on their decks and play some jams for the duration of her shift. She said "sure" and I got busy making people feel like drinking. I'm working on making this a regular gig, so stay tuned for info on that. Thanks to Nicole and ACME Bar for letting me get loose.
Leaf Hound - Freelance Fiend (see what I did there?)
Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl
Built To Spill - Carry The Zero
Lucero - That Much Further West
Bauhaus - She's In Parties
Vivian Girls - I Heard You Say
The Sword - Lawless Lands
Black Sabbath - Tomorrow's Dream
Fu Manchu - Godzilla
Heart - Crazy On You
Wavves - Take On The World
Sweet Apple - I've Got A Feeling (That Won't Change)
Jets To Brazil - Morning New Disease
Graveyard - Hisingen Blues
The Little Ones - Lovers Who Uncover
Best Coast - Boyfriend
The Exploding Hearts - Sleeping Aides and Razorblades
Go Sailor - Fine Day For Sailing
Morrissey - The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get
Judas Priest - One For The Road
Dead Meadow - Babbling Flower
Minus The Bear - Throwin' Shapes
Pavement - Gold Soundz
13th Floor Elevators - You're Gonna Miss Me
Queens Of The Stone Age - Regular John
The Dead Boys - All This And More
The Murder City Devils - Tokyo Gold
The Dead Weather - Blue Blood Blues
Ghost - Con Clavi Con Dio
Pentagram - When The Screams Come
Mountain - Mississippi Queen
Foghat - Fool For The City
Camera Obscura - French Navy
Pulp - This Is Hardcore
Sonic Youth - Dirty Boots
Gang Of Four - Damaged Goods
Moving Units - Between Us And Them
Oasis - Slide Away
The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored
The Nerves - Hanging On The Telephone
Jawbreaker - Jinx Removing
The Gun Club - Sex Beat
Interpol - Say Hello To The Angels
The Pointed Sticks - What Do I Do Now?
Descendents - Cheer
Screeching Weasel - El Mozote
Black Flag - Nervous Breakdown
Danzig - She Rides
Black Breath - Unholyvirgin
Sleep - Dragonaut
Black Cat Music - Journal Square Train
The Damned Things - We Got A Situation Here
Saviours - We Roam
Metallica - Ride The Lightning
Ozzy Osbourne - Flying High Again
The Sex Pistols - Bodies
Hostage Calm - A Mistrust Earned
Joyce Manor - Constant Headache
Weezer - My Name Is Jonas
Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven
Crocodiles - I Wanna Kill
Cold Cave - Pacing Around The Church
Frank Ocean - Nature Feels
Depeche Mode - But Not Tonight
Pulp - Pencil Skirt
The Smiths - Stop Me If You Think That You've Heard This One Before
Leaf Hound - Freelance Fiend (see what I did there?)
Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl
Built To Spill - Carry The Zero
Lucero - That Much Further West
Bauhaus - She's In Parties
Vivian Girls - I Heard You Say
The Sword - Lawless Lands
Black Sabbath - Tomorrow's Dream
Fu Manchu - Godzilla
Heart - Crazy On You
Wavves - Take On The World
Sweet Apple - I've Got A Feeling (That Won't Change)
Jets To Brazil - Morning New Disease
Graveyard - Hisingen Blues
The Little Ones - Lovers Who Uncover
Best Coast - Boyfriend
The Exploding Hearts - Sleeping Aides and Razorblades
Go Sailor - Fine Day For Sailing
Morrissey - The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get
Judas Priest - One For The Road
Dead Meadow - Babbling Flower
Minus The Bear - Throwin' Shapes
Pavement - Gold Soundz
13th Floor Elevators - You're Gonna Miss Me
Queens Of The Stone Age - Regular John
The Dead Boys - All This And More
The Murder City Devils - Tokyo Gold
The Dead Weather - Blue Blood Blues
Ghost - Con Clavi Con Dio
Pentagram - When The Screams Come
Mountain - Mississippi Queen
Foghat - Fool For The City
Camera Obscura - French Navy
Pulp - This Is Hardcore
Sonic Youth - Dirty Boots
Gang Of Four - Damaged Goods
Moving Units - Between Us And Them
Oasis - Slide Away
The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored
The Nerves - Hanging On The Telephone
Jawbreaker - Jinx Removing
The Gun Club - Sex Beat
Interpol - Say Hello To The Angels
The Pointed Sticks - What Do I Do Now?
Descendents - Cheer
Screeching Weasel - El Mozote
Black Flag - Nervous Breakdown
Danzig - She Rides
Black Breath - Unholyvirgin
Sleep - Dragonaut
Black Cat Music - Journal Square Train
The Damned Things - We Got A Situation Here
Saviours - We Roam
Metallica - Ride The Lightning
Ozzy Osbourne - Flying High Again
The Sex Pistols - Bodies
Hostage Calm - A Mistrust Earned
Joyce Manor - Constant Headache
Weezer - My Name Is Jonas
Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven
Crocodiles - I Wanna Kill
Cold Cave - Pacing Around The Church
Frank Ocean - Nature Feels
Depeche Mode - But Not Tonight
Pulp - Pencil Skirt
The Smiths - Stop Me If You Think That You've Heard This One Before
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Deafheaven: Local Dudes Taking the K(vlt)orny Out of Black Metal
A little over a year ago, I was asked to be friends with a band called Deafheaven on Facebook. I didn't know anyone in that band, or anything about them, but they seemed nice enough, didn't SPAM the shit out of my news feed, so they remained my FB bros. Fast forward to now, after getting on some outstanding local shows and releasing a demo, they were picked up by Deathwish Inc, toured to SXSW, and found their unique brand of heavy yet dreamy black metal being well received by the masses at large. I ended up meeting the Deafheavendudes at a Lil B The Based God show in San Francisco, and after having an evening full of libations, yelling, moshing, and taking over a VIP bottle service table that as far as I know, none of us paid for (I know neither my friend Tommy, my roommate Greg, nor myself paid for it), we've remained friendly. Check em out:
I interviewed singer George LeSage for another online blog who never ran the story (which are the sort of frustrating music writer problems that lead to me starting Freelance Fiend), so I've decided to run it here. Their latest release, "Roads To Judah" is fucking killer, and available via Deathwish, from the band on tour, and probably from your nearest independent record store (unless it wilted away and died thanks to iTunes and the internet). Deafheaven are currently on the road through the end of July with Ken Mode. I'm pretty sure the final show of their tour is with Ringworm in Santa Cruz. Should be awesome. Anyway, without further ado...Deafheaven.
FF: You guys are a relatively new band. How did you guys get together and form Deafheaven?
GL: The band started as a project between our guitar player Kerry, and I. We recorded our demo with only having aspirations as having the band be a studio project. As time went along and we were met with new opportunities, it came time to find other members. We did that and now Deafheaven is a five member band who collectively make up the sounds on our new record.
FF: You guys play black metal and are associated with the hardcore scene to some degree, both being subgenres that can be incredibly resistant to change and innovation. You've shared bills with more traditional bands of both genres. Have you had trouble finding a place for yourselves in both musical contexts? Has the reception been warm, cold, or a mixed bag?
GL: We started this band as a means to play music we enjoy. A lot of people will say we're this or that, but at the end of the day, that's their opinion on our 'genre', not ours. We play with a variety of bands as well, but only because we're apt to and I enjoy it. In a musical context, I don't have any problem with finding a place for ourselves. Again, we do what we want and any genre segregation will only come from listeners. It seems as though the reception for the band has been either we're loved or hated. I don't pay much attention.
FF: Was garnering the momentum and notoriety as fast as you did expected?
GL: No, not at all. I'm still not completely certain on how much notoriety we've even encountered, but whenever we're in a new place or just talking with a new person and they ask, "So how are you dealing with all the hype around you guys lately?", I just think to myself, "...is there really THAT much hype?" That being said, I appreciate all the attention we've received over the past year. I've had a few surreal moments in the last couple of months, especially.
FF: What are some of your favorite bands to play with?
GL: Not very local, but The Funeral Pyre, Touche Amore, and Bosse de Nage. Those are my top three.
FF: Have you received any backlash in regards to how quickly you guys have come up?
GL: Actually, no. Well, none that I've encountered. Critics seem too fixated on the way I dress or comb my hair to worry about how fast we've come up.
FF: How did you guys get hooked up with Deathwish Inc?
GL: When our demo started picking up in circulation around the blogosphere, Deathwish had taken notice of it. We started playing shows and after our third or fourth one, received an email from them in regards to releasing something. It's been a pleasure since then.
FF: You guys did a number of shows at SXSW. Did you prefer playing the SXSW official events or the off the cuff house shows that bands often end up playing in Austin outside of the event itself?
GL: Both offer different things. The official events and parties lend to meeting a ton of great (mostly music industry related) people who have a genuine interest in your band and that's always fun. Plus you play with bands you've admired and have never had a chance to see until then. For us, the house shows were more of an opportunity to play to a crowd that was unfamiliar with us, as we played with bands that varied a lot from style to style. The house shows were fantastic though. You can't go wrong with house shows.
FF: What's the rest of 2011 look like for Deafheaven?
GL: Just waiting out the next couple of weeks until the new record comes out and touring from then on. Just announced our June tour with KEN Mode and our appearance at Sound and Fury in July, both of which I'm excited for. The Fall looks to be very promising as well.
FF: Any last words/shout outs/disses?
Gl: Just thank you to those who took the time to read this and for everyone's support over the last year. It's been overwhelming.
For extra measure, here's a full Deafheaven live set from a show at Vacation Vinyl in Los Angeles from March 4th, 2011. Cop their record and go to their shows because as we all can see here, they're fucking awesome.
I interviewed singer George LeSage for another online blog who never ran the story (which are the sort of frustrating music writer problems that lead to me starting Freelance Fiend), so I've decided to run it here. Their latest release, "Roads To Judah" is fucking killer, and available via Deathwish, from the band on tour, and probably from your nearest independent record store (unless it wilted away and died thanks to iTunes and the internet). Deafheaven are currently on the road through the end of July with Ken Mode. I'm pretty sure the final show of their tour is with Ringworm in Santa Cruz. Should be awesome. Anyway, without further ado...Deafheaven.
FF: You guys are a relatively new band. How did you guys get together and form Deafheaven?
GL: The band started as a project between our guitar player Kerry, and I. We recorded our demo with only having aspirations as having the band be a studio project. As time went along and we were met with new opportunities, it came time to find other members. We did that and now Deafheaven is a five member band who collectively make up the sounds on our new record.
FF: You guys play black metal and are associated with the hardcore scene to some degree, both being subgenres that can be incredibly resistant to change and innovation. You've shared bills with more traditional bands of both genres. Have you had trouble finding a place for yourselves in both musical contexts? Has the reception been warm, cold, or a mixed bag?
GL: We started this band as a means to play music we enjoy. A lot of people will say we're this or that, but at the end of the day, that's their opinion on our 'genre', not ours. We play with a variety of bands as well, but only because we're apt to and I enjoy it. In a musical context, I don't have any problem with finding a place for ourselves. Again, we do what we want and any genre segregation will only come from listeners. It seems as though the reception for the band has been either we're loved or hated. I don't pay much attention.
FF: Was garnering the momentum and notoriety as fast as you did expected?
GL: No, not at all. I'm still not completely certain on how much notoriety we've even encountered, but whenever we're in a new place or just talking with a new person and they ask, "So how are you dealing with all the hype around you guys lately?", I just think to myself, "...is there really THAT much hype?" That being said, I appreciate all the attention we've received over the past year. I've had a few surreal moments in the last couple of months, especially.
FF: What are some of your favorite bands to play with?
GL: Not very local, but The Funeral Pyre, Touche Amore, and Bosse de Nage. Those are my top three.
FF: Have you received any backlash in regards to how quickly you guys have come up?
GL: Actually, no. Well, none that I've encountered. Critics seem too fixated on the way I dress or comb my hair to worry about how fast we've come up.
FF: How did you guys get hooked up with Deathwish Inc?
GL: When our demo started picking up in circulation around the blogosphere, Deathwish had taken notice of it. We started playing shows and after our third or fourth one, received an email from them in regards to releasing something. It's been a pleasure since then.
FF: You guys did a number of shows at SXSW. Did you prefer playing the SXSW official events or the off the cuff house shows that bands often end up playing in Austin outside of the event itself?
GL: Both offer different things. The official events and parties lend to meeting a ton of great (mostly music industry related) people who have a genuine interest in your band and that's always fun. Plus you play with bands you've admired and have never had a chance to see until then. For us, the house shows were more of an opportunity to play to a crowd that was unfamiliar with us, as we played with bands that varied a lot from style to style. The house shows were fantastic though. You can't go wrong with house shows.
FF: What's the rest of 2011 look like for Deafheaven?
GL: Just waiting out the next couple of weeks until the new record comes out and touring from then on. Just announced our June tour with KEN Mode and our appearance at Sound and Fury in July, both of which I'm excited for. The Fall looks to be very promising as well.
FF: Any last words/shout outs/disses?
Gl: Just thank you to those who took the time to read this and for everyone's support over the last year. It's been overwhelming.
For extra measure, here's a full Deafheaven live set from a show at Vacation Vinyl in Los Angeles from March 4th, 2011. Cop their record and go to their shows because as we all can see here, they're fucking awesome.
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